Wildfires are novel ecological disturbances to the Sonoran Desert due to human activity, invasive red brome (Bromus rubens), and climate change. Sycamore Creek, an intermittent stream in central Arizona, has recently experienced two fire events: the 2020 Bush Fire (193,455 acres) and the 2024 Sand Stone Fire (27,390 acres). Wildfire ash is transported to the stream during precipitation and influences stream ecosystems by decreasing dissolved oxygen and increasing dissolved organic carbon, organic nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen. Algae are vital to stream ecosystems because they are responsible for most primary production and drive biogeochemical cycling. Stream benthic periphyton contains both autotrophic algae and heterotrophic bacteria and invertebrates. The nitrogen input from ash is expected to enrich algal growth. However, the addition of the dissolved organic carbon in ash could benefit the heterotrophic elements of periphyton more than the autotrophs, increasing competition against algae. Ash from the Sand Stone Fire was collected in the mid-reaches of Sycamore Creek along the streambed, riparian zone, and upland slope, then analyzed for carbon and nitrogen composition. Various concentrations of ash leachate (one part ash with three, five, or ten parts Nanopure water) were created and then used for algae incubations. Filamentous algae and periphyton were collected from Rye Creek—an aridland stream 37.2 km from Sycamore Creek—due to a lack of flowing water in Sycamore Creek. Each treatment had five mesocosms with 10 grams dry weight filamentous algae and five mesocosms with 20 mL periphyton slurry. Mesocosms were placed for one week in a photoperiod- and temperature-controlled room. Algal biomass growth was measured as chlorophyll α and ash-free dry mass. Previous studies of aridland wildfires focusing on the response of primary producers are not commonly found. This experiment aims to start filling this knowledge gap as wildfires become increasingly relevant in aridland watersheds.